Chance made arrangements with his office to have the assistant district attorney handle things for the next couple of days, citing family issues as well as his shoulder. Might as well use the minor injury to his advantage, since he needed to make sure things with Tina didn’t escalate. He was still concerned about Jared Webster being in Portland. He was escalating his hunt for Tina and getting much too close to finding her. Thank goodness she was in Shiloh Springs. And she wasn’t alone.
He pulled his car into a parking spot in front of Gracie’s Grounds, because there wasn’t any parking in front of Daisy’s. Earlier that morning, he’d called a family meeting with a few of his brothers, wanting to figure out his next move. He trusted his brothers’ opinions, especially since Rafe and Antonio both had experience dealing with men like Jared Webster.
Walking past Jill’s bakery, he smiled when he noted several people milling around the display case at the front. Looked like business was booming for his brother’s fiancée, and he couldn’t be happier. Being with Jill had changed Lucas, making him happier than he’d seen his brother in a long time. They both deserved each other, and though their path back together had been rough, they’d made it through to the other side, and he couldn’t be happier.
He strode past the sheriff’s station, noting his brother’s car parked out front, and kept walking. Within minutes, he glanced through the big picture window at Daisy’s Diner and stuttered to a halt. Several tables had been pulled together, and he spotted Rafe, Antonio, Liam, and Ridge. Not surprising, since he’d called them and asked for this brunch-time meeting. What did surprise him? Tessa, Serena and Maggie occupied seats around the table.
Chuckling, he walked through the front door, calling out hellos to a few friends seated in the booths. He loved his hometown, and the people he worked to serve. The community was a family, and he liked and respected each and every one of them.
“Morning, bro. You’re late.” Rafe had an arm slung around Tessa’s shoulder, her chair pulled up close beside his. He couldn’t believe how much of a difference the pretty redhead made in his brother. The taciturn sheriff of the county smiled more, and the love he felt for his fiancée shone through like a lighthouse beacon in the darkness.
“I’m right on time. You’re early.”
Chance pulled out the one empty chair and slid onto it, smiling at Daisy, who’d walked over with the coffee pot and a fresh cup.
“Morning, Chance.”
“Good morning, Daisy.”
“Y’all ready to order, or do you need a couple minutes?” She poured Chance’s coffee and topped off the other cups. “Ike’s got some stuffed French toast this morning that’s to die for, if you’re interested. Fresh blueberries with cream cheese, brioche bread, and powdered sugar. It’s amazing.”
“Sounds good. I’ll have that.”
“Make that two,” Liam added. “I missed dinner last night, and I’m starving.”
“Add a side of bacon, and I’ll have the same.” Rafe’s smiled after Tessa elbowed him in the stomach.
“Heathen. It’s not fair, you get to eat anything you want. I’m still trying to lose another five pounds before the wedding.” Tessa looked at Daisy, giving her puppy dog eyes. “Can I get a small bowl of fruit?”
“Sure thing, sugar. How about you, Maggie?”
“I should have the same, but you’ve tempted me with the French toast. I’ll have that.”
“Get the fruit too, honey, and we’ll share.” Ridge pressed a kiss to her cheek, and she laid her head on his shoulder.
Once all the orders had been placed, Chance let his eyes stray to the people seated around the table. His family. The people he loved and respected above all others. It might have taken him a while when he first moved in with the Boudreaus to adjust to changing his entire life, but he’d never again take for granted the blessing he’d been given.
“So, Chance, what’s with the nine-one-one?” Liam took a long sip of his coffee, eyeing him over the rim. “How can I help?”
“How can we help, bonehead.” Ridge popped Liam’s shoulder with the back of his hand, and Liam simply rolled his eyes, like it happened every day.
“I wanted to talk to y’all about Tina.”
“Told you,” Tessa whispered to Rafe.
Chance chose to ignore them, plunging ahead. “I’m actually glad you brought the ladies along, because I’d like to ask a favor.”
“Of course. Whatever you need.” Serena smiled at Chance, and he remembered everything she’d been through since coming to Shiloh Springs. Of course, all of the women seated at the table had been through their own tough times, and they’d come out stronger at the end. Just like Joshua had said, the Boudreau men seemed to be attracted to women who weren’t doormats. They were complicated, complex women, and he adored each and every one of them. He’d never understood how each of his brothers had changed, grown and matured after meeting the love of their lives. Until he met Tina.
“I think Tina needs to stay in Shiloh Springs—”
“That’s awesome!” Serena’s grin spread across her face and she high fived Antonio.
“Yay! I knew you’d come to your senses,” Tessa jumped from her chair and raced around, hugging Chance’s neck. “She’s perfect for you!”
“Wait, wait! I think you misunderstood. Let’s backtrack for a second.”
“Too late, bro. You might as well surrender now, because they’ve got you halfway to the altar already. Right, Red?”
“You hush.” Tessa pointed at Chance. “Explain, please. Why do you want Tina to stay?”
Chance sighed, realizing he’d stuck his foot in his mouth. Fortunately, everybody seemed to be handling his faux pas okay, though he had a feeling the women were about to start conspiring behind his back, playing matchmakers.
“Destiny found out Tina’s ex-husband showed up in Portland yesterday. I’m sure Gertie won’t tell him anything, but that doesn’t mean he won’t figure out she’s no longer there. He’s not going to give up until he’s standing in front of her. He’s obsessed with her. I’m afraid if she heads back to Oregon, he’ll find her.”
“Didn’t he already break into her apartment?”
“Not him personally, Rafe. Probably one of his hired help. Left a nasty message scrawled on her living room wall.” Chance’s blood ran cold, remembering the text message Tina had received from her landlord. While the message hadn’t contained the kind of threat law enforcement could act upon, the inherent threat beneath the words was evident. It was precisely why he’d filed for restraining orders for Tina in Oregon, and if he got her to stay in Shiloh Springs, he’d get one here, too.
“You’re right, she stays here. What can we do?” Maggie shifted in her chair, leaning forward and putting her forearms on the table. “If you need, she can stay at my place. I’ve got state of the art security. Nobody’s getting anywhere close without me or Ridge knowing about it.”
“She’s not kidding, dude. Plus, she’s practically got her own armory locked up tight there.”
“Appreciate it, Ridge. Thanks for offering, Maggie. If things get rough, I might take you up on it. Right now, I want her to stay because she wants to. The last thing she needs is to feel like she’s a prisoner. I have the feeling she got enough of that when she was married to her ex.”
The expressions on his brothers’ faces were mirror images of each other and echoed how he felt. He had his suspicions that wasn’t the only abuse she suffered at Webster’s hands, but he didn’t have solid proof. Tina hadn’t admitted such, though through her actions, he suspected. Working with victims every day, he’d gotten adept at reading the signs.
“Chance, tell me what I can do. I want to help any way I can.” Serena reached across the table, placing her hand atop his, a sad smile touching her lips. “We all want to help.”
He swallowed past the lump in his throat. “Thanks. I don’t think Webster’s figured out she’s in Texas. Like I mentioned, I don’t think Tina’s boss will tell him where she is, and her landlord definitely agreed not to say anything without contacting me first. But I don’t want her to feel like she’s a prisoner at the Big House, either. Maybe you can spend some time with her. Bring her into town, go shopping. Make her feel a part of things, not isolated and alone.”
Serena nodded. “We can do that. The biggest thing is to make sure she’s never alone, right?”
“Right.” He wasn’t surprised she’d picked up on his thoughts. Maybe he was being too controlling, but better safe than sorry. The thought of Tina being harmed in any way made him want to punch something—or somebody.
“Not like it’s a hardship to spend time with somebody we already like. I can include her in some of the wedding planning.”
A collective groan went up around the table.
“What?” Though she acted offended, Change saw the laughter in Tessa’s gaze, and she winked at him.
“I think she’d like that, Tessa.”
“Alright, I’ll contact the rest of the womenfolk, and we’ll make sure Tina’s never vulnerable. Beth will definitely want to help, and I’ll bet Renee will drop everything to help. Tina’s her friend.”
“You said Destiny found out Webster was in Portland? What else did she find out?”
Rafe’s question didn’t surprise Chance. As the county’s elected sheriff, he was darned good at his job. Sharp and intuitive, Rafe had a knack for getting to the heart of a problem, and looking at a situation from an angle and perspective others missed.
“She’s still looking into Webster and his associates. I’ll let you know when I have all the information.” Chance was sure his brothers would read between the lines and realize he didn’t want to talk about Tina’s business in public.
Daisy walked up before he had to add more and started unloading the tray holding their food. Another waitress held a second tray. She was the new girl Daisy had hired, somebody who’d moved to Shiloh Springs recently, though he couldn’t remember her name.
Once all the plates of food and glasses of juice were handed around, he dug into his French toast, closing his eyes at the first bite. Daisy hadn’t exaggerated; Ike had a winner with this dish. The taste of fresh blueberries burst across his tongue, with a hint of cream cheese, along with the custardy goodness of the eggy bread. Without a doubt, this was going to become one of his favorites, even if it meant an extra hour or two on the treadmill.
The conversation turned to mundane topics, though if he knew his brothers—and he did—the discussion wasn’t finished, it would simply be continued later.
He could hardly wait.
Jared Webster leaned back against the upholstered leather of the town car. He’d hired a driver for the day to pick him up at the airport and take him to his mother’s house. After he finished here, he’d have the driver take him home, to the house he shared with Tina during their marriage. He hadn’t sold it after the divorce. Why would he? The house was a wedding present from his parents, and Tina had made it into a home.
The driver pulled up onto the large circular drive that fronted his parents’ home, the house where he’d grown up. A beautiful three-story mansion in Pacific Heights, his grandfather had purchased the home when he’d made his fortune years earlier. His father had inherited the home when Jared was a toddler, and he’d spent his formative years running around on the polished marble floors and racing through the gardens.
Climbing from the car, he didn’t bother knocking, simply walking into the grand foyer. The ornate double staircase provided an extravagant backdrop for the lush décor. His mother had brought in some swanky, high priced designer a couple of years ago, and had redone the entire mansion in understated elegance. While it was precisely her taste, he preferred the more personal touches Tina left on their home.
Shaking his head, he called out for his mother.
“I’m here, dear. Did you just get back?” He spotted her just inside the opening of the formal parlor.
“Yes, I came straight from the airport.” Leaning forward, he brushed a kiss against her cheek. As always, his mother was dressed exquisitely, from the top of her coiffed blonde head to the tips of her Christian Louboutin heels.
“Well, don’t keep me waiting. Did you find her?”
Sliding his hand on her elbow, he steered her back into the front parlor, and helped her onto the velvet tufted chaise. Moving to an adjacent chair, he stretched his legs in front of him and steepled his fingers, drawing out the moment.
“Jared…”
“Not this time, Mother.”
“I don’t understand. How is she able to stay one step ahead of us? We’re paying for the best investigators, and yet she’s still slipping between our fingers.”
A small smile curved Jared’s mouth. At least this time he hadn’t come home empty handed. He had viable information, more than he’d had when he’d headed to Portland.
“She’s in Texas.”
“What! How do you know?”
“Serendipity, my dear. I happened to be in the right place at the right time.”
His mother smoothed a lock of hair behind her ear and huffed out a sigh. Jared bit the inside of his cheek to keep from chuckling. While she tried, she couldn’t quite hide her frustration that he didn’t immediately spill his guts. Too bad. He was enjoying drawing out the moment, since there hadn’t been many since Tina vanished.
“Well? Tell me.”
“I went to the place where Tina works. Of course, she wasn’t there, but I planned to interrogate her boss. Work my charm on the old biddy and have her eating out of my hand by the time I asked about Tina. Turns out, I didn’t need to. I overheard her talking to some customers, and who do you think they were talking about?”
His mother sat up straighter on the chaise. “Tina?”
“Precisely. Her boss mentioned Tina was in Texas, though she was supposed to come back soon. She also mentioned a name, some friend of Tina’s.” He gritted his teeth, jaw tight, at the thought of Tina with another man. “Someone named Shiloh Boudreau. I have the team looking into him now. Before you know it, we’ll have a location. I can’t wait to have my wife in my arms again.”
“Of course, darling boy. But don’t forget the end goal. We need Tina happy and willing to return home. Once we’ve brought her back into the fold, you’ll have your happily ever after.”
“First things first, Mother. As soon as the investigators get us the information on where Tina is in Texas, I’ll head down there, and—”
“You’ll do nothing of the kind.” The vehemence in her voice startled Jared, had him shifting in the chair, straightening at the command in her tone.
“But—”
“You have to carry on with your life. Everything needs to appear normal and above board. You’ll go to the office. You’ll tend to your patients, perform your surgeries, and deal with your duties at the hospital. When it comes to bringing Tina home, leave that to me.”
A shiver skittered down his spine at the eerie calmness in her voice. The gleam in her eyes threw him back into memories from his childhood, evoking feelings he kept deeply buried.
“I think I should be the one to bring her home.”
She stood and closed the distance between them. “You just leave everything to Mother. Before you know it, everything will be as it should be, and everyone will be happy.”
Leaning down, she kissed him on the cheek and strode from the room, back ramrod stiff, her heels barely making a sound on the polished marble floors. Jared closed his eyes, wondering if his life would ever be the same again.